Many prostheses and implants are known which are used to replace body parts missing due to injury, disease, or birth defects or to augment existing body parts. The prostheses have been derived from both artificial and natural materials. The materials used for constructing such prostheses must be chosen carefully and/or processed to avoid the problems of antigenicity and bioincompatibility, while still duplicating as closely as possible the natural shape and texture of the body part to be replaced or augmented.
Production of prostheses that are flexible yet duplicate the shape of contoured body parts such as the outer ear has been attempted with limited success. For example, silicone ear implants have been produced, but were found to lack durability and to be prone to tearing. Outer ear prostheses have also been derived from flexible portions of autogenic rib material (taken from the individual for whom the ear prosthesis is being made). Prostheses derived from this costal (rib) material are generally too soft to retain intricate detailed shapes and contours. As a result, the implanted prostheses do not resemble natural human outer ears. The necessity of performing additional surgery (with the accompanying risk of infection, discomfort to the patient, and extra expense) to obtain the rib material is another disadvantage of this procedure.
A need remains for a method of producing prostheses (such as outer ear prostheses) that are flexible yet have predetermined detailed and contoured shapes. These prostheses should be comprised of material which is bio-compatible, non-antigenic, durable enough to resist tearing or rupturing, and capable of being formed into (and retaining) an intricate shape. Additional surgery to obtain starting material (for derivation of the prostheses) from the individual to receive the prosthesis should be avoided.